Asking the Right Questions E-Book

Matthew S. Harmon

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 159

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Simple Questions to Ask Every Time You Open Your Bible We all know that we should read our Bibles—yet at times we struggle with knowing exactly how, no matter how long we've followed Jesus. In this empowering book, Professor Matthew Harmon walks us through two simple sets of questions to ask every time we open our Bibles: Understanding the Bible: 1. What do we learn about God?  2. What do we learn about people?  3. What do we learn about relating to God?  4. What do we learn about relating to others? Applying the Bible: 1. What does God want me to understand?  2. What does God want me to believe?  3. What does God want me to desire?  4. What does God want me to do? Arming you with practical ways to get to the heart of any passage, this book will help position you to experience the joy that results from being transformed by God's Word.

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“I love Matthew Harmon’s book Asking the Right Questions. That’s probably because Matt loves the Bible (and so do I). He has found a beautiful balance between Bible study skills and devotional depth. And he links all his insights to the gospel.”

Randy Newman, Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, C. S. Lewis Institute; author, Questioning Evangelism and Corner Conversations

“I love this book on how to study and apply the Bible. Some books on interpreting Scripture are so complicated and have so many steps that we can become discouraged, but Harmon is simple and clear without being simplistic. He helps us see the big picture in studying the Bible by reminding us of the storyline of Scripture and by emphasizing that the story centers on Jesus himself. At the same time, we are given very practical advice on how to study and apply specific passages. An excellent resource for teachers, students, and all who desire to study the Scriptures.”

Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The guidance Harmon provides in Asking the Right Questions is simple enough for a teenager or new believer to follow, but deep enough to lead even mature Christians to a better grasp and deeper application of Scripture. I love this book and look forward to using it to disciple people in our church.”

Brian G. Hedges, Lead Pastor, Redeemer Church, Niles, Michigan; author, Christ Formed in You

“Asking good questions is a key to understanding. And asking good questions about the Bible is a key to understanding the most important truths in the world. God can handle all your questions, and he loves to reward those who ask in faith when engaging his very words. This book will help you ask the best of questions on the best of sources—God’s Word—in the best of ways—by faith.”

David Mathis, Executive Editor, desiringGod.org; pastor, Cities Church, Saint Paul, Minnesota; author, Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines

Asking the Right Questions

Asking the Right Questions

A Practical Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible

Matthew S. Harmon

Asking the Right Questions: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible

Copyright © 2017 by Matthew S. Harmon

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2017

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-5429-2ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-5432-2PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-5430-8Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-5431-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harmon, Matthew S., author.

Title: Asking the right questions: a practical guide to understanding and applying the Bible / Matthew S. Harmon.

Description: Wheaton: Crossway, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016045619 (print) | LCCN 2017013276 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433554308 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433554315 (mobi) | ISBN 9781433554322 (epub) | ISBN 9781433554292 (tp)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible—Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BS511.3 (ebook) | LCC BS511.3 .H375 2017 (print) | DDC 220.601—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016045619

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2020-01-13 02:06:13 PM

To the King of the ages,

immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part 1

Laying the Foundation

 1  The Story We Find Ourselves In

 2  The Bible Is God’s Tool to Change Us

Part 2

Reading the Bible

 3  Reading the Bible as Jesus Did

 4  Written for Us but Not to Us

 5  Four Foundational Questions

Part 3

Reading Our Lives

 6  The Gospel Pattern of Life

 7  The Fallen Condition

 8  The Gospel Solution

 9  Applying the Bible to Our Whole Lives

10  The Power to Obey

Conclusion

Additional Resources

Resource 1: Tips for Understanding and Applying Different Kinds of Passages

Resource 2: A Word to Pastors, Sunday School Teachers, and Small Group Leaders

Resource 3: At a Glance: Asking the Right Questions

General Index

Scripture Index

Acknowledgments

The Bible is the most remarkable book in the world. The moment God saved me, he gave me a love for his Word. From that point forward, he also brought a number of people into my life who helped me understand and apply the Bible. In high school and college, I had men like Don Willeman, Mike Thacker, and Brian McCollister who discipled me with open Bible in hand. They showed me the beauty of Christ and what it meant to follow him by constantly taking me to Scripture and living out the truths of the Bible right before my eyes.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to several professors who have shaped the way I read the Bible. While studying at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College, I had the privilege of studying under scholars such as D. A. Carson, Doug Moo, and Greg Beale. Each of them has shaped my study of the Bible in significant ways.

While I was doing my graduate work, I also had multiple opportunities to teach Cru staff how to interpret and communicate the Bible in their various ministries. I taught alongside godly men such as Keith Johnson, Gary Purdy, Rick Hove, Jonathan Pennington, Darian Lockett, and many others. Readers who have gone through those Cru classes will see its fingerprints throughout this book.

As a professor at Grace College and Theological Seminary, I have the privilege of teaching students how to understand and apply the Bible. Much of the material in this book has been used and refined through my interaction with them. The same is true of the many opportunities I have had to teach and preach at Christ’s Covenant Church. Seeing God’s people grow in their understanding of God’s Word and watching them apply it to their lives brings me unspeakable joy.

I also want to express my gratitude to several people who read all or part of this book and gave helpful feedback. Special thanks go to Zac Hess, John Sloat, Gabe Tribbett, and Brian Hedges. Through their thoughtful input they have made this a better book.

Working with the people at Crossway has been a delight. I appreciate their enthusiasm for this project and their help along the way. I owe special thanks to Justin Taylor for his friendship and his encouragement.

Without the love and support of my wife, Kate, and my sons, Jon and Jake, this book would never have been written. They have consistently embraced God’s call on my life to help people see the beauty of Jesus Christ and follow him. It is my prayer that God will use this book to make that happen in your life.

Introduction

Her excitement was contagious. Mallika had been a Christian for only a few months, but already her life was beginning to change. She had a newfound joy and peace that transcended her circumstances. If the doors of her local church were open, she was likely there. She loved to sing the hymns and worship songs she was learning. Throughout the day she found herself spontaneously praying about situations and people. She was even beginning to talk to her coworkers and neighbors about Jesus. Since she had grown up in a non-Christian home, everything about her relationship with Jesus Christ was new.

There was just one problem—she had no idea how to understand the Bible and apply it to her life. The woman who led her to Christ emphasized the importance of being in the Word on a regular basis, but had not given Mallika any help or training in how to do this. Every Sunday her pastor faithfully preached the Bible and encouraged the congregation to study Scripture on their own, but just the thought of it completely overwhelmed Mallika. Every time she tried to read her Bible, she just became more discouraged.

Laura has been a believer since she was eight years old. Her parents regularly read the Bible with her and encouraged her involvement in the church’s youth ministry. When it came time to choose a college, Laura opted for a small Christian liberal arts college where she knew she would have lots of opportunities to grow in her faith. From her first day on campus Laura was involved in several different ministries at school and her local church.

Despite her constant involvement in ministry, however, Laura struggled to maintain consistent time in God’s Word on her own. She enjoyed hearing the messages in chapel and the sermons from the pastor at her church. At times she even attended a Sunday school class. But when she sat down to read and apply the Bible herself, she regularly walked away frustrated. Laura even took an elective class on how to study the Bible, but the method her professor taught was so complicated that she never had the time for it.

After several years of being a member at his church, Tobe was asked to lead a small group. He had come to faith in Christ in his early thirties and has been involved in the church for the past fifteen years. While he is no Bible scholar, Tobe spends time reading the Bible nearly every day. On occasion he even reads Christian books that deepen his understanding of the Bible and how to live the Christian life.

Each week when his small group meets to talk about that week’s sermon and the passage on which it is based, however, Tobe often walks away disappointed or even frustrated. Too often their discussions wander down rabbit trails that have little or nothing to do with what the passage says. Or the conversation stays on the surface level and never gets around to how the truths of that passage should change our lives.

• • •

Maybe you can identify with Mallika, Laura, or Tobe because you have had a similar experience. But even if your experience is different, all of us at some point have struggled to know how to understand and apply the Bible to our everyday lives. We believe that understanding and applying the Bible is crucial to following Jesus, but we don’t always feel equipped to do it well.

Why is something so important to the Christian life so hard sometimes? For one thing, the Bible is a big book that talks about a lot of different things. How do you figure out the most important things to look for when reading it?

To read any book well you need to know what kind of book it is. So what kind of book is the Bible? Why did God give it to us? Does the Bible give us any help in knowing how to read it?

Another reason understanding and applying the Bible can be challenging is that the Bible is set in a world very different from today. Some of the stories and people it describes seem very strange or even upsetting to our modern sensibilities. How do we take what it says and apply it to our lives today? There has to be a simple and practical way to understand and apply the Bible that anyone can use.

This book is my attempt to help you. The main tool we will learn to use is a set of questions (that’s the reason for the title!). The questions we ask when we read the Bible largely determine how we understand and apply it. So if we want to understand and apply the Bible, we need to make sure we are asking the right questions.

But how do we know which are the right questions to ask? Grasping what kind of book the Bible is, who and what it is about, and why God gave it to us is essential. That foundation sets us up to know what questions we should ask to understand the Bible.

If our goal is not just to understand but also to apply the Bible, then we also need to learn to read our lives the right way. As followers of Christ, we need to understand the basic pattern of the Christian life—turning away from sin (repentance) and trusting in who God is and what he has done for us (faith). From that starting point, we can then ask the key questions that enable us to apply the Bible to our lives.

That may seem like a lot of ground to cover in a short book. But by the end of this book you will be armed with four simple questions to help you understand the most important insights from any passage. You will also be armed with four simple questions to help you understand how to apply God’s Word to your life so you can grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, as followers of Christ we should desire nothing more than to grow in our love for Christ and our obedience to him.

In fact, why not take a moment right now to pray that God will use this book to help you grow closer to him?

Ready? Let’s get started with an overview of who and what the Bible is all about.

Part 1

Laying the Foundation

1

The Story We Find Ourselves In

Everyone loves a good story. Whether it is kids begging for Dad to read them a book at bedtime or friends gathering to watch a movie, people enjoy hearing (and telling) stories. Think for a minute about the last time you caught up with an old friend you had not seen in a while. No doubt that conversation included a story or two.

But stories are for more than entertainment or providing information. They shape our understanding of who we are, why we exist, what kind of person we should be, and what kind of world we live in. Whether we realize it or not, we automatically connect everything we experience to what we believe to be the true story of the world. Our view of the world is inherently story shaped.

The Bible tells us the true story of the world, the way things truly are and should be. But because we are sinful, we are blind to this reality. Left to ourselves, we will default to understanding our lives within the false stories promoted by our culture or our own self-made stories. But when we are born again, the Spirit of God opens our hearts and minds to understand what the Bible says about God, us, and the world around us. So if we are going to rightly understand who we are, why we exist, what kind of people we should be, and what kind of world we live in, the starting place is understanding the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Now that can sound intimidating; after all, the Bible is a huge book! So in what follows I want to give you a brief overview of the story of the Bible. To help you remember the big picture, I have divided the story into six segments, each one beginning with the letter c: creation, crisis, covenants, Christ, church, and consummation.

Creation

The opening sentence of the Bible sets the stage for understanding the nature of the world around us: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). As the Creator, God has complete authority over all that exists. He has created the world to reflect his wisdom and beauty. Out of all that God has made, his masterpiece is humanity. Only human beings are said to be made in God’s image. To make sure we don’t miss this crucial point, the text says it four times in just two verses (Gen. 1:26–27)! God has created us as image bearers to reflect his character. We are made to be mirrors of his beauty and glory. What people think, believe, desire, and do should display who God is as we interact with him, each other, and creation.

As image bearers our first parents, Adam and Eve, are given a mission. God commands them to rule over creation under his authority, in essence making them kings (Gen. 1:28). God places them in the garden of Eden, which is his sanctuary on earth. They are to serve as priests in this sanctuary, maintaining its purity (Gen. 2:15–17). Through humanity God intends to mediate his presence to the world.

God has not designed us to live as isolated beings. He made us to experience community with each other. This is seen most clearly in the marriage relationship, where a man and a woman become one flesh (Gen. 2:18–25). But even aside from the marriage relationship, God has designed human beings to display his perfections more fully together than any one individual possibly could.

Crisis

The peaceful picture of Genesis 1–2 does not last long. God warned Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (Gen. 2:15–17). But Satan, masquerading as a serpent, convinces Adam and Eve to rebel against God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:1–6). Instead of “being like God” as Satan promised, Adam and Eve experience the shame and guilt of disobeying their Creator (Gen. 3:7). Instead of harmony with God and each other, guilt and shame enter in. Instead of running to God, they try to hide from him (Gen. 3:8).

When God confronts them, he announces judgment. The Serpent is cursed to crawl and eat dust. But more importantly, God makes this promise to the Serpent (in the presence of Adam and Eve):

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel. (Gen. 3:15)

In effect God is saying to the Serpent, “You may have defeated Adam and Eve, but there will come a day when a descendant of Eve will deal you a fatal blow. Yes, you will inflict a wound upon him, but in the end you will be crushed under his feet. My Serpent-crusher will ensure that I accomplish everything I have planned.”

For Adam and Eve,